
Your route through the museum
South America: four ways of life
Canopies, spiny outlines and shared webs: four species reveal a small slice of a diverse continent.
Begin the tour ↓
Diversity & species portraits
A tarantula among the branches
Avicularia avicularia introduces the arboreal tarantulas of South America.
Explore the article ↗Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Diversity & species portraits
Spines in an orb web
Gasteracantha cancriformis shows how varied an orb weaver’s silhouette can be.
Explore the article ↗Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Diversity & species portraits
A web for a community
Anelosimus eximius forms lasting social colonies, including in South American lowland rainforests.
Explore the article ↗Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Diversity & species portraits
A wandering spider beyond the headlines
Phoneutria nigriventer deserves a factual account of its life, defence and venom.
Explore the article ↗Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.